When Tonja and Matt Davenport moved into their dream home in 2018 with their daughter, they knew it required serious remodeling to fit their vision of a modern-day farmhouse that optimized its space.
“We wanted to preserve the integrity and character of the home from when it was built in 1927,” Tonja says.
The project began in December 2019 and finished in May 2022.
“The timing was actually beneficial to us because we were already locked into the contract,” Matt says. “The only setback was the amount of time the contractor said it would take to complete the project. The projected 12-week process was doubled to 24 weeks to completion.”
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Photos courtesy of the Davenport family
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The Kitchen
The Davenports’ kitchen is the heart of the home. When they moved in, the kitchen was dated and its walls encroached on the living room and dining room areas.
The area was narrow and lacked proper flow and was in dire need of additional cabinet and counter space. A wall and doorway that led to the downstairs bathroom occupied up much-needed kitchen space, so AIS Renovations removed it.
“(Before the remodel) you could fit three people in there, but we were always bumping into each other,” Matt says. “Removing that wall enabled us to have cabinets on both walls, clear out to the dining area and counter space to match.”
Once construction was complete, the duo brightened the kitchen by choosing stylish sage green cabinets and bringing in balanced white countertops.
The Downstairs Bathroom
Because the downstairs bathroom was primarily Matt’s, he took charge of its design. The three-piece bathroom felt cramped and outdated.
“The stand-up shower felt like a coffin; it was very tight,” he says. “You couldn’t raise your arms
to wash your hair without banging your elbows onto the walls.”
When the bathroom entrance was moved from the kitchen to the back door, AIS Renovations doubled its size with its new configuration.
“The workers had to move all the pieces. … Everything was reorganized to fit the space more efficiently while making it larger without using a larger footprint,” Matt says.
To finish off the renovated bathroom, Matt chose calming gray and blue tones.
The Upstairs Bathroom
Tonja and her daughter, Kailey, share the upstairs bathroom, so they wanted to ensure they both had enough space for their toiletries. Before the renovation, the bathroom was stuck in the ’80s with outdated tile and a whirlpool bath that monopolized space.
“The Jacuzzi tub was up on a platform and not functional. You would have to climb into it to use it,” Tonja says.
AIS Renovations LLC removed the old bath and in the reclaimed space installed a double sink, vanity, new tub and walk-in shower, all accented by modern tiling. The upstairs bathroom is now a haven for Tonja and Kailey with black and white tiling and sage green cabinets.
In an effort to preserve the house’s character, the Davenports used penny tile, hardwood flooring, industrial light fixtures, animal paintings and ancient-style pieces throughout their home to tie in with the farmhouse style house after renovations were complete.
Mariah Muhammad is a contributing writer for CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
